Too Happy To Be An Outcast
by Allegro-chan
Summary: A new senior joins the teens in Forks but there's obviously something very different about her. How can such an odd person be so happy when she's virtually alone in the world? And will her connections alienate her even more? Takes place in "Elcipse".
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, New Moon or Eclipse or any of the characters created by Stephenie Meyer. I do own Artemis, however, so no stealing her. .

Bella smiled when she saw Angela, Ben and Mike already sitting next to Alice and Jasper at the lunch table. Everyone was speaking excitedly to one another about something Bella couldn't hear. But it looked like everyone was getting along without any thought to how everything was supposed to be awkward between the Cullens and… normal people. Bella smiled and silently thanked who or whatever the five were talking about for making today's lunch better than most. It seemed she wouldn't have to be the bridge between the two worlds today.

She glanced up at Edward walking beside her and could tell from the look in his eyes that he was searching everyone's thoughts for what the excitement was about. It didn't take ten seconds before he relaxed and picked up his pace towards the table. Bella rolled her eyes but smiled all the same. She knew Edward loved to know everything that was going on. It annoyed him to no end that he never knew what Bella was thinking. Unfortunately, no one else had the privilege of hiding their thoughts from the nosy vampire.

When the couple got to their lunch table, everyone paused and looked up. Mike smiled warmly at Bella and ignored Edward completely but he stayed in his spot across from Ben instead of moving to sit across from Angela like he normally did in order to gain closer access to Bella. She wondered why for a moment but then thought better of it. Why look a gift horse in the mouth? It was nice to know that Mike wasn't still trying to throw himself at her anymore. Edward took his place across from Jasper and Bella sat across from Alice with a smile on her face. Alice smiled brightly back at her and it looked like she was looking forward to something, anxious, almost. But that couldn't be right, could it? Alice never had cause to be anxious about anything; she knew exactly what was going to happen before it ever did. Bella figured she was reading the emotions wrong and pushed the feeling aside.

Once Edward and Bella sat down, Mike jumped at the chance to tell them (or rather Bella) what everyone was excited about. "You'll never guess what happened, Bella!" he exclaimed excitedly. "There's a new girl in school! She's a senior like us, which is the surprising part."

Ben continued when Mike stopped to take a breath, much to Mike's annoyance, "We don't get many new students around here and when they're seniors, it's even stranger because seniors usually finish out high school before moving here, just to keep everything less complicated."

Angela smiled at Bella and told her portion of the story a little more quietly, "She's in my second hour, Bella. She's very nice. I think you'll like her a lot. I invited her to have lunch with us. I hope you guys don't mind." She finished with a small frown, realizing that she hadn't asked anyone before inviting someone new to the lunch table.

Bella smiled enthusiastically at her, feeling very excited, "Of course not! I can't wait to meet her." She wasn't exaggerating. Bella had been the new girl since she moved to Forks almost a year ago. It was about time the attention was off of her. She cringed a bit on the inside, hoping the new girl didn't mind being the center of attention. Before anyone had time to barrage Bella with more accounts of the new girl, Ben suddenly pointed out someone coming up behind Bella and then waved energetically. Mike turned quickly in his seat and everyone else moved or turned their head to get a good look at who was coming.

Bella's breath caught in her throat. The girl Ben and Mike were now waving at and motioning towards them was the most beautiful girl Bella had ever seen, and that was definitely saying something considering she had seen Esme, Alice and, most importantly, Rosalie. The girl smiled when she saw Ben and Mike waving enthusiastically at her and Angela smiling sweetly. When she walked over to the lunch table, it was like watching a ballerina glide across the dance floor. She was as graceful as Alice when she moved but Bella noticed an immediate difference. Alice had a look about her that she could turn herself invisible whenever she wanted. This new girl looked like you would notice her no matter what; like she would never make a good hunter because no matter how much camouflage she wore, every animal in the forest would see her. No one could pass her up in a million years. "She's not human," Bella managed to whisper. But it was so quiet a whisper that it was like she mouthed the words. Only the other three non-human beings surrounding her could hear her and they didn't respond simply because they knew it was true, but they didn't know _what_ she was.

She smelled both of wolf and of their kind. They scrunched up their noses without realizing it and Edward wrapped his arm around Bella and pulled her close, just in case this new girl didn't have good intentions. When she came to the table, she smiled brightly and Bella, trying to figure out what she was, wondered for a moment if she was an angel. After all, if werewolves and vampires existed, what else was there? The girl had bright blue eyes and dark black hair. Bella assumed she wasn't a vampire because her eyes weren't black, yellow or red: the only colors she had ever seen in the eyes of a vampire. But her fluid movements and incredibly small figure (which reminded her of a smaller Alice, as hard as it is to believe) made it impossible for her to be a werewolf. Not to mention, Bella had never seen a werewolf who was a girl.

The girl spoke first to the humans she had already been introduced to. "Hello Mike, Ben. Hi Angela," her sweet voice brought a picture of angles ringing bells to announce the girl's presence to the front of Bella's mind. The girl turned her smile to the four remaining people at the table, "Hello, other people who I haven't yet been introduced to," she said with a soft giggle. When her eyes fell on Bella, Edward tightened his grip and Jasper and Alice tensed up. "Except for you, of course," the girl said with a hint of mischievousness and a goal accomplished. "You must be Bella."

Bella sent a quick glance toward Mike assuming he's been the one to tell the new girl all about her. "Hi. I guess people around her talk about me a lot, huh?" she said and felt Edward get annoyed at the fact that she wasn't being cautious around this girl that he obviously didn't trust.

The girl giggled, seemingly oblivious to Edward's annoyance, and shook her head, "Angela told me a little about you, yes. But that's not how I knew who you were." Bella was surprised,

Bella was surprised, "Really?" she asked and then wondered briefly if that sounded vain.

"Yep!" the new girl giggled again not giving Bella time to feel abashed, "To tell you the truth, I'd have recognized you in the middle of a crowded street." Bella sent her a confused look and she giggle again at her inside joke before finally letting everyone else in on the fun, "You see I live in La Push. Jacob's told me _all_ about you. By the way, he says 'Hi'."


	2. Chapter 2

Edward and Mike simultaneously narrowed their eyes at the mention of the boy who they both considered their mortal enemy and both for the very same reason. Bella, however, wasn't angry about this news; she was first shocked and then thrilled. She tried for a moment to situate herself closer to the new girl who had now sat down but Edward's grip held firm so she stayed content to just talk to her. "You live in La Push? How is Jacob doing? Is he very mad at me?" she paused for a moment and then blushed a deep red. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! That was so rude of me. I don't even know your name and here I am asking you so many questions. You already know me. What's your name?"

The dark-haired girl smiled again and tilted her head to the right a fraction of an in before happily saying, "My name's Artemis! May I ask what your friends' names are?" Bella hesitated and glanced up at Edward, not knowing if he would be upset with her for telling Artemis their names.

He didn't take his eyes off of the girl but nodded politely after a short moment. "My name is Edward. This is Alice and Jasper," he said motioning to his sister and brother respectively. "It's a pleasure to meet you," Jasper said politely and Alice, always the best actor of the group, smiled energetically, "Yes, it's great to meet you! Do tell us about La Push, won't you? I've never been."

Artemis smiled almost knowingly and nodded, "Oh, don't worry. You're not missing much. I doubt you'd want to go anyway. But it certainly is nice to meet all of you."

Just as she turned to Bella to answer her questions about Jacob, Mike spoke up from the other side of her, "So… you know Jacob Black, huh? I guess you two are pretty close." His voice was sour and Bella realized instantly why he had suddenly stopped fawning all over her. He'd found a new love interest! She bit the inside of her cheek to stop from laughing hysterically. If anyone noticed, they didn't pay attention to her; they were all waiting with bated breath for Artemis's answer to Mike's question, er, accusation. Angela and Ben were the only two who didn't know how much of an impact her answer had on…everything.

Artemis didn't miss a beat, "Oh, of course I know Jacob! How could I not? I mean he lives two houses down from me and he's practically been my brother since… well… 16 years ago, I guess." Mike smiled cheerily again and relaxed; Jacob wasn't a threat to him when it came to this girl, beyond the overprotective brother threat, of course.

The vampires in the group, however, were just as guarded, if not more so. The close proximity to Jacob and the rest of his pack would explain why she smelled of werewolf and didn't look like one. But she could still be a spy sent to steal Bella away, or a wolf who hadn't gone through the change yet. But if that was the case, why did she smell like a vampire? Artemis's eyes twinkled like fireworks on the Fourth of July; it was almost like she could hear their confusion and it amused her.

Of course, Edward was getting more annoyed by the second because, though he _could _read the girl's mind, it was like she wasn't thinking of anything; which he knew was impossible, especially when you're having a conversation with someone. Alice kept trying to get a vision of the girl but the farthest ahead she could see was the end of lunch. It was as if the only decision Artemis had made was to finish out lunch and wing it for the rest of the day…or her life. Hating the blind feeling it gave her, Alice kept trying even though it was annoying her to no end every time it failed. Jasper was keeping himself busy just trying to make sure Alice and Edward didn't get too annoyed. It wasn't as though his power would do anything to help them find out anything they didn't already know about the new girl, so he contented himself to just bide his time and watched her.

The only reason Bella was getting annoyed was because she thought it was taking too long for Artemis to answer her questions about Jacob. She finally had a link to him and he had even sent a message that didn't sound sad or hostile. But every second that passed without answers felt like an hour and it was torture not knowing how Jake was doing or if he hated her.

Finally, Artemis turned to Bella with her knowing smile and started talking again. "Yes, I live in La Push. Jacob is doing fine. And no he doesn't hate you, not in the least. He talks about you a lot, mostly to me. He misses you a lot but please don't tell him I said that," she lowered her voice to a stage whisper and fought back a smile, "He doesn't want you to think he's as wrapped around your finger as we all know he is."

She couldn't stop herself from giggling at this, looking like she had snitched on Jacob and paid him back for a previous offense. Bella couldn't help but chuckle along with her; somehow the happiness this girl felt was contagious. Angela, too, giggled, having already learned that it was almost pointless to try and be anything but happy when Artemis was around. Ben laughed a little in order to not attract attention, knowing from his first hour class that he now shared with Artemis that she paid special attention to making you laugh if you didn't at least smile when she made a joke. But his sidelong glance to Angela proved that he understood Jacob's feelings for Bella and didn't consider them a laughing matter. Mike smiled at her teasing words, ever willing to have a good laugh at Jacob's expense since the movie incident with him and Bella. Alice and Jasper smiled kindly simply to continue the act that neither side had yet broken.

Edward, however, was not pleased at any talk of the wolf that was after _his_ Bella's heart. He knew that he would always owe Jacob for taking care of Bella while he was gone, but he could not stand to hear about him, especially if the talk was about his obsession with Bella. Besides, all this talk about him was sure to renew Bella's interest in visiting him and thus force Edward to take preventative measures which would make Bella upset and more determined to visit the wolf. It would turn into a vicious cycle that would be draining on the both of them and put Bella at risk. He tried to change the subject, "So, if you live in La Push, why are you going to school here now?"

Bella looked up at Edward's face, surprised that he had spoken when he had seemed to want to get as far away from her as possible. Artemis didn't mind the change of subject; she smiled warmly at Edward as though congratulating him for speaking to her and nodded. "Well, I've wanted to go to school here for a while now and recent events have made this school…safer for me, I guess." This news surprised everyone and the looks on their faces showed it. Artemis sighed lightly and elaborated, "It's not that La Push is dangerous or anything. But a few of the boy in the high school have gotten…rowdy. Billy, that's Jacob's dad, thought it would be best for me if I wasn't around them. He's overreacting a great deal and I definitely have to commute but, since this is what I wanted, I didn't complain."

"Why is Jacob's dad deciding where you go to school?" Mike asked looking very curious, "Shouldn't _your_ parents be doing that?"

Artemis smiled and simply said, "It's a long story. No need to get into it." Bella expected Mike to press the issue and he opened his mouth as if to do just that when Artemis blinked and there was a sort of ripple in the air, not a breeze…more like a thought of a breeze. Suddenly Mike closed his mouth and looked confused; Angela and Ben also blinked a couple of times as if clearing their thoughts.

"So, do you like it here?" Mike asked, as if there had never been a conversation about Artemis and who was making decisions for her. Bella's eyes widened and the Cullens's eyes narrowed.

Artemis had some explaining to do.


	3. Chapter 3

(A/N: I have re-read Twilight and New Moon and I have discovered that I messed up on the time line. Apparently New Moon happened during the first half of senior year and Eclipse wrapped up senior year. So, since I would basically have to change most of the story to fix this, I decided to just go by my skewed time line. So, just so we're all clear, we'll be pretending, for this story's sake, that New Moon happened during the end of Jr. year and summer vacation before Sr. year. And Eclipse started off Sr. year. Oh and I also fixed a little mistake I made in the first chapter. I said that Bella had been in Forks for almost two years when it's only been almost one. Nothing major, I just thought I'd let you know.)

For the rest of lunch Artemis made pleasant small talk with those surrounding her. The Cullens did their best to say little to her and she did her best to appease them by keeping her conversations centered on Angela, Ben and Mike. Mike, of course, liked this seeing as how he was getting all the attention instead of Edward for once.

They spoke of things that had very little relevance and Bella, making sure to pay very close attention despite (or maybe in spite of) Edward's efforts to distract her enough to get her out of the cafeteria, learned that she shared both fifth and sixth hour with Artemis. She also discovered and was a little suspicious about the fact that the girl was a few months younger than Jacob but had apparently been skipped ahead two grade levels during her years in school so she was definitely the youngest senior in the school. If that were the whole truth, Bella mused, Jacob was probably very jealous.

When the bell rang for lunch to be over, Angela, Ben and Mike all rose from their seats and bid their companions (especially Bella and Artemis) farewell, somehow not interested in why none of the others made a move to go to class. Artemis kept a smile on her face while she slid further away from Bella to make sure they all knew she wasn't a threat. She waited patiently for them to start the conversation which made for a very quiet few moments.

Finally, Edward nudged Bella and without taking his eyes off of Artemis said, "Go on to class, Bella. I'll be there soon." His voice didn't exactly leave room for discussion. So, of course, Bella didn't argue with him. After all, she would never hang around people who might be a danger to her, right? _Especially_ not when Edward planned on staying in the middle of the potentially dangerous situation. She'd never argue with him at a time like this, right? … That's what I thought.

"I'm not going anywhere, Edward," she said firmly while carefully avoiding his smoldering eyes. "I want to know what's going on too." She felt rather than heard the deep growl that showed the vampire was getting annoyed quickly.

"I'll tell you what happens later, Bella," he was obviously trying to keep his temper in check. "Now go before you're late to class." He gently nudged her again in an attempt to get her started on her way.

But Bella held firm; she didn't intend to move before getting some answers, "It's healthy to ditch class now and then." She couldn't help but grin at the memory of Edward saying that very same thing to her just a year before. He had been very right that time and she was sure that she was just as right this time. This time around, everyone heard the growl from deep in Edward's chest.

Just as he was about to demand that Bella go to class and debating internally whether he should literally drag her there, Artemis spoke up. "She's right, you know. Perfect attendance isn't all it's cracked up to be." Edward's eyes snapped towards her, annoyed that she thought she had the right to interfere. The blue-eyed girl put her hands up in mock surrender while she giggled, "No need to get so testy. You have my word that I have no intentions of hurting Bella or any of you." She put her hands back on the table, trying to make herself look as harmless as possible, like an animal making sure the alpha knew they weren't there to fight. "I only stayed behind because I assume you have some questions?" she sounded very sincere and Bella got the feeling she wanted desperately to be friends with the Cullens.

Bella looked around at the people she considered family and who _would_ be her family as soon as she could possibly manage it. They all seemed hesitant to ask the girl anything for some reason. So Bella, always willing to voice her questions, started the ball rolling, "What are you?" This time she was prepared for Edward tightening his grip on her and situated herself before she could become uncomfortable.

Artemis smiled and Bella felt proud in spite of herself. "That's an excellent question, Bella, but not one I can answer all by myself. Nor do we have enough time to dilly-dally in the school cafeteria for me to answer." Bella furrowed her brows wondering how long her answer could be and why she would need help answering so Artemis elaborated, "It's not that the answer to that particular question is long, just that it will raise numerous more questions that I can't answer here."

Bella nodded though she was still confused and opened her mouth to try for another question when, surprisingly enough, Jasper spoke up, "Whose help do you need to answer the question?"

Artemis grinned at him, "Perceptive, aren't you? Hmm… well, luckily enough, the person that could help the most happens to be very well acquainted with you." Her eyes glittered again as the tilted her head to make sure she could see there reactions, "Is Carlisle off work today? It's been far too long."


	4. Chapter 4

Artemis was instantly glad that she had arranged herself to see everyone's reaction before talking. She had trouble forcing down her laughter at the looks on their faces. Jasper and Edward's golden eyes had grown twice their size and were now narrowed and focused directly on her as if trying to tell if she were lying. Alice and Bella were simply staring in shock. Alice couldn't figure out how she, very literally, didn't see that one coming and Bella was now trying twice as hard to figure out what this girl was to be very well acquainted with both Carlisle _and_ Jacob. Besides their species' being mortal enemies, there was no connection between the two.

After a few more quiet moments, Alice finally spoke up. "I'll call him now. He shouldn't have any trouble getting off. When…when would you like to come over?"

"Now would be wonderful, if you four don't mind skipping the rest of school?" Artemis replied happily. Alice nodded and then she was gone; the cafeteria had absolutely no reception for all but the newest phones, which the Cullens had not yet found the time to acquire.

Edward made another noise that showed he was not amused so Artemis turned her head back to him, a look on her face like that of an adult trying to be patient with a small child. "Bella will not be coming with us," he stated simply. When Bella opened her mouth immediately to protest, he cut her off smugly, "You're still grounded, love. I'll tell you all about it tonight."

Bella made a face but couldn't think of a way to argue with him. She looked up through her eyelashes at Artemis, wishing she wasn't left out of the loop so often. Her sad brown eyes met with Artemis's sympathetic blue ones and all of a sudden Artemis was pulling out her cell phone; Bella wasn't surprised to see it was the newest one on the market.

Artemis flipped it open and looked at Bella before dialing. "I hope you don't mind me telling Charlie a little white lie or two? Just to get you out of your house through the end of school, I promise." When Bella looked at her shocked, she sighed and said, "What? You'll believe that I'll let Billy decide where I go to school but you can't believe I've met one of his best friends? He comes to La Push quite often, you know."

That made since, of course. Living so close to Jacob, Artemis had to have met many of both Jake's and Billy's friends. Why, then, had she never met Bella until today? Artemis shook her head. "No more questions right now. Unless you'd like to stay in school, you're going to need to give me permission to lie to your father." Bella nodded quickly, ignoring Edward's rumbling chest and tense arms.

Artemis clicked through her contact list, finding Chief Swan very quickly and pressing the 'call' button. Everyone was silent while waiting impatiently for the call to go through. Bella heard a low voice on the other end but couldn't quite make out what he was saying. Edward and Jasper, however, heard both sides of the conversation quite clearly.

"Swan residence."

"Hello, Chief Swan. This is Artemis, Billy's adopted niece from La Push. You remember me, don't you?"

"…Oh! Artemis! Yes, I remember. How are you doing? Is there something you need?"

"I'm doing great, Chief Swan. But there is something I need your…approval for."

"What is it?"

"Well, I think Billy might have told you that I was going to go to school in Forks now?"

"Yes, I remember him mentioning that. What about it?"

"Well, you see, there are a couple of classes that I'm having trouble with and, lucky for me, your daughter Bella happens to be in them. I was wondering if it wouldn't be too much trouble for her to hang out after school and help me do a little catching up. No more than 30 or 45 minutes, I promise. I just don't want to start off already behind."

"I don't mind. Why don't you come over here and you two can study together?"

"I would but I'd like for this to take as little time as possible and I get distracted very easily. Bella said that if she went home, she'd have a visitor that would make it quite hard for either of us to concentrate. But if you like-"

"No! Actually, now that you mention it, staying at school _is_ a good idea. You'll need to tell Bella that it will cut into her visiting hours. I'm sure she won't mind. She's really a good person"

"I'm sure she won't mind either, Chief Swan. Thank you so much, this really is a great help."

"Any time, Artemis, really. I'm always happy to help. Study hard now. I'll probably see you this Saturday. The Colts are playing and I promised Billy I'd come down and watch the game with him. I could maybe bring Bella and you and she could hang out?"

"That sounds great, Chief Swan. See you then."

Edward growled at Charlie's last comment, knowing that he just wanted Bella down in La Push so she could hang out with _Jacob_. Well, it didn't matter anyway, he told himself. Bella wouldn't ever go back to La Push so long as he had anything to say about it.

Artemis grinned at Bella once she closed her phone. "You're covered for probably an hour or so after school ends. He seemed very happy to hand you over once he realized your _visitor_ couldn't get to you if you were with me. By the way, apparently this cuts into your visiting hours."

Bella stared at Artemis in shock yet again. That was an excellent performance; Bella wished she was able to lie like that. It would make her life much easier. When everything Artemis had said sunk in, Bella smiled. Charlie thought that he was cutting majorly into her time with Edward when he was actually extending it. How perfect.

"Carlisle said he'll be there by the time we arrive," Alice's voice made Bella jump since there hadn't been a single noise to announce her arrival. She knew without looking, however, that she was the only one surprised by her quick appearance. There was confusion in her voice but Bella paid it no mind for the moment; everyone had been confused since Artemis had shown up and, in any case, Artemis was standing. It was time to go.

Artemis smiled politely at Alice, "Thank you. I suppose we should leave now?" Jasper stood immediately and Alice went to his side without hesitation. Edward hesitated a moment before releasing his death grip on Bella and standing quickly, holding his hand out to help her up in the blink of an eye. Without a word, they all walked out of the building in a line of sorts, Alice and Jasper in the lead, Artemis following about twenty feet behind and Edward making sure to keep halfway in front of Bella as they walked about thirty feet behind Artemis.

The group walked silently outside and directly to the shiny Volvo that stood out in the student parking lot. Jasper held the back door open for Alice and climbed in behind her. Artemis stopped short of the car so that Edward and Bella could give her a wide berth.

Edward slowed to a stop before reaching the Volvo as well. He looked at Artemis confused again. His eyebrows moved together in an obvious attempt to read her mind. Bella almost laughed out loud when she saw the very amused grin on Artemis's face but she managed to bite her tongue. Finally, Edward seemed to give up and just stated his question, "How are you getting there?"

Bella started to wonder whether he'd just been rude by refusing to give Artemis a ride or if it was ok to be cautious in this circumstance. Artemis just smiled approvingly, seemingly loving her newfound job of teaching Edward patience, and said, "The same way I got _here_. I'm going to run. Don't worry. I'll let you get there first."

This made Edward scowl. She'd just implied that she thought he and his car were slow. Or, at least, that's how it seemed to his fragile male ego (the only fragile part of his existence). Artemis giggled and it took all of Bella's will power not to do the same. When she decided that Edward's patience had been tried enough for the time being, Artemis smiled and waved. "I'll see you soon!" she called sweetly.

And then she was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

The ride to the Cullen's house was quiet and tense with Edward's hands clenched around the steering wheel and everyone else too afraid of his reaction to even ask about the weather. Bella didn't even comment on his faster-than-usual driving. It was like he was trying to prove to Artemis (who wasn't even in the car) that his car was fast no matter what she said.

By the time they got to the Cullen's house (which didn't take too long), Bella was ready to kiss the solid ground. She controlled herself, however, and Edward wasn't so upset that he forgot his manners; he was opening her door as quickly as he always did when not surrounded by mortals. Bella could see Carlisle's car in the garage and that surprised her. She always assumed that Carlisle was so responsible and controlled that he never drove as fast as his children loved to. But he would have had to drive even faster than Edward had to make it home before them. He must be very anxious to meet, or rather, see Artemis.

Speak of the devil and he... she shall appear. Bella felt Edward tense and then she felt a short gust of wind behind her. She half turned and wasn't surprised to see a grinning Artemis standing a 'safe' distance away from her. The smile was too welcoming to fight against and Bella couldn't help but smile back at her. Edward, however, wasn't swayed and pulled Bella closer to him.

Artemis pretended not to notice. "Shall we go in?" she asked pleasantly, looking to Alice and Jasper instead of Edward as though she knew what he wanted to answer. Jasper nodded solemnly and he and Alice led the way to the door, the whole group getting back in the makeshift line they had when leaving the school. Jasper opened the door without knocking and held it open for Alice. He glanced at Artemis and seemed to debate inside his head. It didn't take long for his Southern Gentleman breeding to force itself to the front and he continued holding the door for the curious girl. She smiled brightly and thanked him.

Edward paused and turned to face Bella. She bit her cheek, knowing what was coming and wanting to roll her eyes and get inside where all the fun was. "Bella," he started, "I don't want you to be here right now. Can't you humor me and let me take you back to school?"

She shook her head firmly and broke away from him to walk to the house. She was at the door when Edward caught her by the wrist again. Jasper had already gone inside to give them some privacy. Bella groaned impatiently and turned around. She knew it had only taken that long to grab her again because he was getting his temper in check. She tried to be patient with him; it wasn't hard once she looked into his soft golden eyes.

He really only wanted to keep her safe; she knew that. But his protectiveness was beginning to get annoying. She sighed and took his hand before he had a chance to say anything. "Edward, you know I love you," she started gently, "and I know that you love me. That's why I know you'll take care of me no matter what. I really don't think Artemis is going to try to hurt me. I'm a part of your family now and I want to be with the family when important stuff happens. Please, Edward?" She hadn't yet realized what kind of effect this had on him but he knew. He stared into her deep eyes and finally sighed in defeat.

Bella grinned and dragged her boyfriend up the stairs and into the house like her life depended on it. They burst into the room to see Esme wrapping Artemis in a hug and half sobbing while Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper and Alice… everyone but Carlisle stared on in confusion. Bella and Edward stopped in their tracks and joined the confused category.

Artemis was patting Esme on the back and returning her hug gently and patiently. After a few more moments, Carlisle smiled and touched Esme's arm gently. "Come on, Esme. I'd like a hug too," he said with humor in his voice. This, of course sent the rest of the room reeling and, while Artemis spun from Esme's grip right into her husband's, Emmett spoke up…loudly, "What the he-eck's this all about? Who is this girl?" Rosalie, sitting beside him in the loveseat, nodded her head to show that she too was confused.

Carlisle pushed Artemis arms-length away from him and looked mainly towards Jasper, Alice and Edward. When he saw that they were just as confused, he gave Artemis a reprimanding look- the way only a father would look at his daughter, Bella thought. "You didn't even tell them who you were?" he asked, a tone of scolding in his voice.

Artemis grinned and the look immediately made Bella think of Jacob; she wondered which one taught it to the other. It was the kind of grin that a child gave to a parent when they did something mischievous that they knew they wouldn't get punished for. "Well it's such a long story," Artemis started with a very child-like voice, "and you know how I don't like to repeat myself so I wanted to wait until Emmett and Rosalie were with us." When Carlisle continued with the fatherly look, she went on the defensive, "I also assumed you'd actually bothered to tell someone about me. It's not my fault you didn't even think about me when I was gone. You could have told them about me, you know." She tried to pout but there was too much happiness in her eyes for her to pull it off effectively.

Surprisingly, her accusations actually sent Carlisle on the defensive. "You know I don't tell people your story. It's your place to tell them what you want them to know so I was very careful to only think about you when Edward wasn't around," Carlisle said looking both reprimanding and slightly apprehensive. "You know I didn't just forget you."

Esme laughed lightly and wrapped her arms around Artemis from behind. "Oh, both of you behave," she said happily. "What's done is done. We really should stop confusing everyone now. Artemis, would you like to tell them about yourself?"

Artemis laughed again and spun around, obviously putting the whole 'incident' behind her. She grinned at Bella and Edward and told them to take a seat. "It's kind of a long story," she said brightly. Edward hesitantly pulled Bella to the couch, placing her between himself and Alice while looking back and forth between Carlisle and Artemis. Judging by the half-pout on his face, Artemis's mind was blank and Carlisle was guarding his thoughts very carefully.

To everyone's (excluding Esme and Carlisle) mild surprise, Artemis took a seat as well… right there on the floor. Carlisle shook his head amused and he and the still grinning Esme sat down on their separate chairs, watching Artemis more to make sure she was still there than to focus on the story she was about to tell.

The atmosphere in the room seemed to grow more suspenseful and everyone subconsciously leaned forward in their chairs as Artemis cleared her throat, preparing herself for her story. She looked around and opened her mouth.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Ok, I'm going to have to change the timeline around just a smidge. It shouldn't have too much of an effect. I just need to make it so that only Esme and Carlisle have had the chance to meet Artemis in the past. So, do you remember that time Edward told Bella about how he took off on his own for a little while? Well, since he didn't tell us when this happened, I'm using it to my advantage and I'm saying that it happened a few - maybe six - months after Carlisle made the treaty with the werewolves. So they were still staying in Forks and we're going to pretend that Rosalie hadn't come along yet. That's all. Thanks.

"My name is Artemis Rae Carter," she started simply. "I was born and raised in La Push… a long time ago. Well, long in the human sense of the word. When I was sixteen years old, my parents and I were attacked when we were coming home from our Monday Movie Night. Yeah, we were weird like that. A couple of thugs robbed us, beat us and left us, not caring if we were dead or not. My parents weren't alive long enough to see them walk away but I wasn't killed immediately.

"Jacob's grandfather – well he wasn't Jacob's grandfather then, but you get the point - was patrolling the area and smelled the blood about ten minutes after the attack. He found me bleeding and very near death. He was about to take me to the hospital when he realized something that left him very surprised: I was going through the change. It's not often that a female becomes a wolf; it usually only happens when all the boys have come of age. There were still plenty of boys in the tribe who hadn't gone through the change so I never should have turned. But I did, or rather, I was. Unfortunately, there was no way I would have survived long enough for my wolf blood to take effect and heal my body.

"So, I couldn't go to a human hospital and I couldn't wait for my body to heal itself. It didn't look like there was any way for me to make it. But Ephraim was and is a man who stays true to his pack and he is very resourceful. My attack was only a year after the treaty was signed. I suppose you can imagine where his thoughts led while thinking about hospitals, yes?"

Most of the eyes in the room widened at the suggestion. Edward flinched inwardly when he realized that, according to her timeline, this whole thing happened a half a year after he'd went off on his own to be a rebellious teen. A couple of mouths opened as if to object or ask questions but it seemed as if the story wasn't over. This time, Carlisle spoke, "I have to admit I was very shocked when I received the call from Ephraim. He had seemed very intent to uphold the treaty when we first created it and then suddenly, a year later, he was calling me and asking me to cross the treaty line. I had a horrible feeling from the tone of his voice that the line was not the only part of the treaty we would be breaking that night.

"I went as quickly as I could and I took all the supplies I had with me. When I got there, I saw why he was so serious; Artemis was in _very_ bad shape. I could tell Ephraim had been trying his hardest to stop the blood flow but it was still everywhere and showed no signs of stopping. It was a very good thing that I spent so many years learning self control because otherwise, it would have been nearly impossible for me to control my thirst.

"Originally, I only did what I could do in the human sense. I hoped only to keep her alive long enough for her wolf-self to take over and heal her. That was Ephraim's wish as well, of course. However, it quickly became obvious that her change was taking more out of her than her bleeding was. She was far too injured for the fever to be doing her any good and her bones shifting and…well the process is not a pretty sight even when the individual is perfectly healthy. Ephraim and I had only a moment to discuss the issue and come to a consensus. Just before midnight, I bit Artemis and sent as much of the venom as I could into her blood stream. I wanted her change to go as quickly as possible… if it came at all."

Artemis, once again picked up the story, "I honestly don't remember the pain of becoming a vampire. At least, if I remember it, it was mixed in with all the other pains that I was feeling that night so much that I don't know which pain was which. When I woke, the first thing I noticed was that I could… smell everything much more clearly. Then I saw Carlisle. He moved to my side so slowly, I thought I was crazy because when I saw him walked, I could just tell that he was trying to appear… human. And yet, somehow, it wasn't working. The way he walked, it wasn't human. So, of course, I thought I was crazy because, what else could he be except human?

"Ephraim barged in as soon as he… well I don't really know how he knew I was awake. I don't remember either of us making any noise but hey, my mind was pretty fuzzy then anyway. It took a while for everything to make sense to me. Both Carlisle and Ephraim spent about two hours explaining what they were and what had happened to me. At that point, the discussion turned to trying to figure out what really had happened to me, after Carlisle bit me, I mean.

"We knew I had survived, but to become what? I hadn't shifted into a wolf any of the three nights that I was unconscious but I also didn't have an undeniable thirst for blood when I woke. They also found it strange that my smell didn't bother either of them and neither of their smells bothered me.

"For a moment, we thought that the vampire poison mixed with my werewolf blood and cancelled each other out, making me human; a much better fate, according to them. That was ruled out when I closed my eyes and tried to relax and discovered that I could… see their minds. For the next three hours, we worked together to see what my new-found power was. I suppose I'm biased but I think it's one of the coolest powers ever. But I can explain it later.

"Both Carlisle and Ephraim preformed many…tests on me to try and figure out what I was: vampire, werewolf or even a human with a little extra. I passed every one. Meaning that, for all the tests could tell, I was all three."

Carlisle chuckled and all heads in the room turned to him. Artemis smiled at him, seeming to know which part of the memory he found funny. His tone was light when he spoke, "After about three hours with me poking and prodding her and Ephraim pacing and asking questions, she finally lost it on us. She pushed us away and stormed out of the room, but not before telling us that we had no idea what we were doing and to leave her alone for an hour so she could figure herself out."

Artemis laughed and Bella suddenly realized that she had never heard her laugh before, only giggle. Her laugh was vibrant and loud. It filled the room and Bella immediately saw the wolf in her. When Artemis laughed, she grew, or at least she seemed to, and it was her laughter that would give her away as something not human.

She laughed for a while before seeming to regain control herself slowly. She grinned at Carlisle and when she spoke, her voice held traces of the laugh, "The look on your faces was priceless. I can't imagine what the two of you did while I was gone." She half chuckled and shook her head before continuing with her story, "But I came back in an hour just like I told them I would. They looked so frustrated it was hilarious. They practically jumped on me when I walked in the room. I just smiled at them and told them what they wanted to hear. … After stalling for a few minutes because it was hilarious to watch them get more and more impatient."

She looked around the room with a smile on her face, obviously doing the same thing now that she had back then. Carlisle made a disapproving face at her and nudged her playfully in the back with his foot. She giggled and continued, "So it turned out that I got the best of both worlds. It took a while to learn to control all my powers but I had lots of help from both sides of the treaty line. I can now hang out with vampires and werewolves and even blend in seamlessly with humans if I so choose. This is good for me because I like to move so much, you'd think I have ADD."

Bella opened her mouth hesitantly, "So then… what are you?" She scolded herself mentally for sounding rude and opened her mouth again to apologize hurriedly but she was cut off.

"I'm…a hybrid," Artemis said simply, no sign of offense taken, "Half werewolf, half vampire, all awesome." She giggled at the end to lighten the mood and the shock that Esme and Carlisle's 'children' (both present and future) would now be faced with.

"If you like," Esme spoke up both feeling excited that Artemis seemed to be back in her life and fearful that the rest of her family wouldn't accept Artemis because of her wolf blood, "you can think of her as your half-sister."

There was a tense silence in the house for what seemed like a very long time when suddenly Emmett decided to grant the listeners the privilege of hearing his voice. And what a tactful inquiry he proposed: "So why don't you stink?"


	7. Chapter 7

Emmett had definitely broken the tense silence. Jasper and Edward were trying to hide the fact that they were laughing by covering their mouths but their shoulders were shaking and they looked like they were having trouble breathing. Even though they didn't even have to breathe. Rosalie rolled her eyes and smacked Emmett in the back of the head. He tried to feign innocence while asking what he did but the huge grin on his face was giving him away. Alice and Bella were shaking their heads at their boyfriends and looking like they wanted nothing more than to follow Rosalie's lead. Poor Esme seemed to be wondering where she went wrong with the boys and Carlisle was smiling but shaking his head at the whole thing. Artemis was enjoying herself by just sitting back and watching the show. She didn't take offense to much of anything.

Eventually, Edward and Jasper cleared their throats and put their hands back down as if that was what they were doing the whole time. Alice and Bella rolled their eyes but didn't say anything. Artemis smiled brightly, looking very content, and leaned back, putting her hands behind her on the floor to hold her up. She looked very relaxed as she answered Emmett's question. "That's actually something both Carlisle and Ephraim asked me," she said and watched out of the corner of her eye as Esme gave her husband a reprimanding look and he shifted around nervously and shot a quick glare at Artemis, very likely thinking the word 'snitch'.

"And the reason," she continued with a smile on her face, "is because I'm… balanced right now." Without waiting for the questions, she explained, "When I'm relaxed or when I'm just not thinking about it, my body automatically rests at half vampire and half werewolf. At this point, I smell more like a human than anything else. I can consciously change my… well, species, I guess. I can't think of a better way to put it."

Artemis paused and blinked. There was another almost-breeze in the air and Bella noticed an immediate change in the way Artemis looked; the most noticeable of which was that her eyes were now yellow instead of blue (_yellow_, which was very reassuring to all present). If she was beautiful before, there weren't words to describe the way she looked now. She knew that Artemis had just demonstrated how simple it was for her to become more of one species than another. Bella was, once again, struck by how alluring vampires were, even when they weren't trying to be. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she remembered that it was one of the things that made them the best predators.

Edward was instantly tense when Artemis forced her vampire-self to the front. He didn't know how much control she had over the thirst or if living with wolves for so long had weakened her strength. He wrapped his arm back around Bella and pulled her close.

This time, Artemis didn't ignore his actions. She smiled reassuringly at him, "You don't have to worry. I'm no more likely to loose control as a full vampire than I am as half. You may think that living with the pack, I don't have many opportunities to sense things as a vampire so my resolve is weakened, but it actually means it's easier for me to keep control. I get more practice than you think. Not to mention, when I was first turned, Carlisle and Esme spent a lot of time training me. I'm not a threat to her or any other human. Even if I meet someone who has the same effect on me that Bella has on you, all I'd have to do is force my wolf-self out and there's no temptation."

Edward looked unsure for a moment but he glanced at Carlisle and that seemed to make up his mind. Bella felt him relax and move his arm so that she could hold his hand instead. For a moment, Bella was very happy with the way things were turning out. But then she remembered something and couldn't stop herself, "What's your power? You said you saw their minds or something. What does that mean? Was that what you did to Mike? Did you even do anything to Mike?"

"Slow down," Artemis giggled, "I'll answer all your questions. There's no time limit or anything." Bella blushed and laughed nervously but Artemis seemed happier now that the conversation had turned to the subject of her power. "Like I said, I think my power is really-"

"Artemis," Carlisle cut her off sternly. "Who is Mike and what did you do to him?"

Artemis sighed and turned her head to him. "Mike Newton is a guy I met at school today and I didn't do anything…much." Carlisle narrowed his eyes at her and she fidgeted nervously. "Well, I didn't! He was just being really nosy and he was pressing in a subject that I didn't want to get into. So I… nudged him in a different direction. No harm done, I promise."

Carlisle looked at her suspiciously for a moment but he nodded after a moment, satisfied that she hadn't been abusing the power that she thought was _really_ cool. She turned back to the rest of the family and started talking again. "Well, my gift is a lot like Edward's only cooler," she giggled to let him know that she was just teasing and then continued, "I can read people's minds if I want to but I can also…tweak them and the thought doesn't have to just be one that's passing through your mind for me to hear it. I kind of think of it as going into someone's mind and looking through all the files and stuff till I find what I want."

Most of the faces around the room were still confused so Artemis tried again, this time talking mainly to Bella, "Ok, let me see. Hmm… Oh! Ok, that's perfect. So Edward's power is like everyone's mind is a radio, right?" Edward and Bella both looked confused as to how she would know that since that was the way Edward had described it to Bella when she had first learned about his power such a long time ago. They nodded slowly and made a mental note to ask her later. "Well my power is more like… a house. Everyone's mind is a house. And for a normal person, all those doors would be shut and locked because normal people can't read minds. But, for me, almost every door is wide open. Some doors are shut, but those are usually unlocked. It's actually not that hard to lock your door; I taught Jake how to do it when he was little. The thing is, I can pick the locks. He doesn't know that but I've never forced my way into his mind. I actually try not to use my power too much. I don't have to actively tune anyone out because the thoughts don't really jump out at me. I have to go to the door myself. Does that make more sense?"

Bella looked thoughtful but then she nodded. "Yeah, I think I get it." She looked nervous, like she wanted to ask something but wasn't sure if she should. Artemis looked at her expectantly until she finally asked, "So, can you read my mind?"

Artemis seemed to think about this for a second, "I had heard that your mind was… difficult." She paused and then continued, "Hmm that is odd. I've never encountered anything like this." Bella subconsciously leaned forward in her seat as she waited to find out if Artemis's power would do what Edward's, Jane's and Aro's could not. "Bella, would you mind working with me for a moment?" she asked finally.

Her brow furrowed in confusion, "Sure, but how?" Edward tensed slightly but he trusted Artemis a little more now so he didn't voice his disapproval just yet and instead watched to see what would happen first.

"Ok, here's the thing," she said, sitting up straight and looking very interested. "Your mind's door is locked. And I've never seen any door locked like this. So I'm gonna teach you how to unlock your door the same way I taught Jake to lock his. Only if you want to, of course."

Bella thought for a moment and bit the inside of her cheek. "Will I be able to lock it back?" she asked, trying to make sure she didn't look at Edward. He laughed lightly simply because that was the one thing she was afraid of.

Artemis smiled sweetly and nodded her head, "Of course. You won't be…breaking the lock or anything. You're simply, unlocking the door. You can lock it back as soon as you want to. I don't even know if Edward will be able to hear your mind when you unlock the door. His power is different from mine, remember? And after all, Edward can still read Jake's mind when he's locked the door to me."

"Well," Bella said almost reluctantly. But she couldn't resist finding out what would happen. "Ok. What do I do?"

With an excited grin, Artemis invited Bella to join her on the floor. They spoke animatedly and excitedly while Esme decided that Bella and Artemis couldn't have gotten a decent lunch and went to the kitchen to rectify the situation. She loved having people around she could cook for. Carlisle smiled and followed Esme for no real reason except to be around her. The rest of the family chose to stick around to hear how to lock their mind, half hoping that they could block the nosy Edward and, of course, to see if Edward would soon be able to read Bella's mind.


	8. Chapter 8

For the next hour and a half, Artemis and Bella worked together to 'unlock' Bella's mind. It probably wouldn't have taken nearly as long except for the fact that Artemis wasn't lying when she said she was ADD. She kept getting distracted from Bella by the rest of the room's minds. They were trying to figure out how to lock their mind by doing the opposite of what Artemis was telling Bella to do. So, since Bella's lock was different than theirs, Artemis paused her lesson with Bella often to correct any and all of the onlookers who were 'doing it wrong'.

After spending quite a while tweaking the instructions and concentrating very hard, both Bella and Artemis were suddenly silent. The Cullens (and Hales) leaned forward in their seats as if they could better hear or see with that two-inch advantage. Then, the two girls grinned simultaneously. Artemis made everyone in the room jump when she leapt to her feet and cheered happily.

Edward smiled crookedly and was instantly beside Bella, holding out his hand to help her to her feet. "Shall I assume that the experiment was a success?" he asked smoothly with a sideways glance and chuckle at Artemis.

Before Bella could answer, Artemis stopped jumping and said sternly, "It was _not_ an experiment. Experiment makes it sound like we didn't know what was going to happen and we did it anyway." Then she returned to being cheerful and changed the subject before anyone could question her reaction to the word. "Can you read her mind now, Edward?"

Successfully distracted, Edward furrowed his brow in thought and focused very hard to see if there was even the slightest hint of a thought from Bella. After a long moment, he sighed and shook his head. "Not at all," he said sounding only slightly disappointed since he knew that Bella was happy that he couldn't read her mind. And, if it made her happy, he would gladly bear the slight annoyance.

Bella smiled, both grateful and sympathetic, and said happily, "This is so cool! I can't believe you can actually talk to me through my mind! I feel telepathic. Can you do that to everyone?"

Artemis happily explained that she would only be able to do that when Bella opened her mind's door. And, yes, she could speak to anyone whose door was open. It was like planting thoughts into the person's mind, so, unless they knew about her power or were very suspicious or smart, they would think that it was a memory of Artemis' voice or even their own conscious, if Artemis did it properly.

Almost as if she had timed it just right, Esme walked in with a hot tray of freshly baked, made from scratch brownies. Artemis brightened significantly, which is obviously saying something, and rushed to the woman's side, smiling like a little kid. "Brownies!" she exclaimed. "I love brownies! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She bounced in a small circle around Esme as the older woman laughed at her antics and tried to move as fast as she could to the table without tripping over Artemis.

Bella was confused as to where the brownies came from and why Esme had suddenly decided to make them. She knew that vampires didn't need to eat human food so there was no reason for any brownie-making materials to be in the house.

She seemed to have forgotten that she had left her mind's door open so she jumped slightly when Artemis answered her questions without moving her lips, "As long as I'm balanced or anything but full vampire, I still get hungry for human foods. Not to mention, I love to eat and brownies are my favorite. Esme makes the best brownies in the history of history. She ran out while we were doing our thing to get supplies and made them when she got back. I'm surprised you didn't smell them baking."

Artemis winked at her when she finished her explanation and then stuffed a brownie in her mouth. "Mmmmmmm," she sighed like she was in heaven and then looked to Bella again. Bella had long since realized how much Artemis really enjoyed her powers so she was prepared for the extra voice in her mind when the once again blue-eyed girl said thought, "You'd better grab yourself a brownie. I have no problems eating every one of these."

Feeling very pleased, both with the brownies and the new friend in her head, Bella reached over and took a brownie she took a bite and then spoke to Artemis by 'pushing' her thoughts outward. "These are great! I don't think I've ever had homemade brownies before. Esme's a wonderful cook!" the process of speaking with her thoughts was getting easier by the second, just like Artemis said it would.

Artemis nodded and continued eating the brownies and talking to Bella. Both girls seemed to only want to talk when their mouth was full, just because they could. The vampires in the room were acutely aware that there was a silent conversation going on right in front of them. Edward was the only one who couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed by it. He'd been so smug about his girlfriend/fiancé's mind being so safe from everyone. It made him feel better knowing that he wasn't the only one who couldn't infiltrate her mind and it didn't seem fair that this newcomer could do so when the most powerful of vampires could not.

He took a deep breath and turned his gaze towards Bella. When he saw her smile, all the annoyance faded away. This made her happy and it wasn't putting her in any danger so maybe it wasn't all that bad for her to have a friend she could talk to like this. Heck, maybe feeling like she had a power would be enough to make her willing to slow down on the becoming a vampire business. He smiled at the vain hope and kept thinking about the positives of having Artemis around to talk to Bella. When he realized that she was actually safer now that they had someone who could look into her mind and see where she was at all times, there was no longer a hint of annoyance left in him; Jasper could vouch for that.

Soon, all the brownies were gone and everyone was talking to each other about whatever happened to go through their mind first. The whole Cullen family, Bella included, was quickly becoming attached to Artemis. She was sweet, funny and almost childlike in that they had a strange desire to protect her.

Emmett was the one with the fastest growing attachment. Artemis made him laugh a lot, both with her ditzy-ness and randomness and by actually trying to do so. She also had the spunk to show that she wasn't going to back down in a fight, verbal or physical. When she told them about a couple of the fights she'd been in previously (with both vampire and werewolf) Emmett was the only one who had no trouble believing that Artemis could hold her own against anyone she wanted to. Yet, for some reason, he was the only one who challenged her to prove herself. Right then.

Before anyone even had the chance to be shocked by his request, Artemis doubled it by immediately standing and telling him they'd have to go outside. Esme and Carlisle both jumped out of their seats and began insisting that the two not fight. They seemed to be the only ones beside Emmett who were not shocked at the challenge or the acceptance.

Just as Artemis began arguing her ability to fight (and beat) Emmett easily with Carlisle and Esme, and the rest of the family began scolding Emmett for challenging Artemis in the first place, the chorus of "Who Let the Dogs Out" began playing.

Bella barely had time to figure out where the sound was coming from before Artemis pulled out her cell phone and answered it with reflexes that were definitely not human. Artemis, for her part, didn't even listen to the song. She felt her phone vibrating in her pocket and answered it without thinking.

The person on the other end spoke louder than Chief Swan and Artemis' phone what at the highest volume so, this time, Bella had no problem hearing what was said on both ends of the conversation.

An emotion that was almost fear, but not quite, passed across Artemis' face when she heard what was said to growled at her.

"Where the hell are you now, half-breed?"


	9. Chapter 9

The first thing Artemis did after hearing the angry voice was snap her head towards the clock on the wall

(A/N: Well Breaking Dawn is amazing. I'm sorry this took so long, I was getting off the high I got after reading it. It was a little hard to get back in the spirit of Eclipse after all that awesomeness. But I won't spoil anything for those of you who may not have read it. All I know is that it did make me rethink a few points in my story. I'm not going to change anything I've already written, but I will try to make sure I don't do anything that would totally make Breaking Dawn impossible or improbably. Oh, and I'm also going to try and make my chapters longer. I didn't realize they were so short until recently. But I am a little disappointed that no one responded to my request for bad names in the argument. But, I did as well as I could considering how bad I am at this. I had to use a couple of insult websites but I think it came out ok, if not as knock-down drag out as I hoped. I _really_ appreciate all the reviews. More than you know. They are very helpful and _very_ motivational. Thank you all so much. Alright, I'll let you get to the story now.)

The first thing Artemis did after hearing the angry voice was snap her head towards the clock on the wall. The second thing she did was flinch when she saw that it was a full half hour after school had ended. Bella glanced away from Artemis for a moment to see a room full of unhappy faces. Carlisle, Esme and Emmett looked mad enough to fight someone, which was _very_ rare for two of the three. Alice, Jasper and even Rosalie looked upset and Edward's face could not be seen from where Bella was standing. Though she did notice his arms tense up.

Bella wondered for a short moment who was on the other end of the phone. In the back of her mind, she thought the voice sounded very familiar, but she couldn't think of anyone who would be so mean to someone like Artemis. Instead of getting lost in her thoughts, she made herself focus on the present so that she didn't miss anything.

She was shocked to see Artemis searching for words. After being so ready to go into the front yard and fight Emmett, of all people, Bella was sure that Artemis would immediately jump to her own defense at being called a half-breed. She looked odd with such a nervous look on her face.

Artemis seemed almost oblivious to the angry vampires surrounding her and glaring at her phone with such ferocity that it might explode at any second. She fidgeted nervously, and finally answered the growling man on the other end, "On my way home. I, um, took the scenic route."

There was a mocking scoff on the other end and the angry voice responded, "Is that so? When did you get out of school, then? I've been waiting here since before school let out."

Artemis looked as though she was cursing inside her head. She fidgeted more when she heard Emmett growl, becoming angrier by the second. She tried to end the conversation quickly, knowing it would get worse in a hurry if she didn't. "Sorry. I cut out a little early. I didn't know you were coming. Yell at me later, okay. I'm on my way."

"Tell me the truth right now or we'll send a search party no matter what you say," the voice was still growling but it was obvious that his anger was dwindling away.

While the growler was getting less angry, Artemis seemed to be recovering her backbone. She sighed, annoyed, "I can't give you coordinates, all right? I'm on my way. I'll run and be there before you are."

"Not likely," the voice growled, "considering I'm standing outside the house now."

This really got Artemis back to normal. "You lied?! I thought you were outside the school!"

"Well I caught you, didn't I?" there was definitely a mocking tone to the growl now. "Besides, you should've known I couldn't have been there for that long. I'd never get there in time without cutting school."

She huffed. "You jerk. Just for that, I'll be home when I get there. Nobody but you is stupid enough to join a search when I'm ticked off."

"Yeah?" the voice was angry again. "Well maybe we've got a pretty good idea where you are, already. Maybe we won't look for you; we'll just assume you've been kidnapped. I don't think anybody would be too put out if that's the way we handled it."

"You don't think at all," Artemis retorted, but there was an edge to her voice now. Bella was slowly recognizing the grower's voice and was desperately hoping she was wrong. "And you've already pi-ticked most of the people here off, anyway. So-"

"No one that qualifies as a person is with you, Artemis," he interrupted. Bella sighed, finally having to accept that the voice on the other end was who she thought it was.

Artemis smirked as though she'd been waiting for him to make a comment like that. "Is that so?" She didn't wait for an answer before she looked straight at Bella and spoke louder than she really needed to, "Just so you know, Bella, Jake doesn't think you qualify as a person anymore."

Bella shook her head exasperatedly; Artemis wanted to start a fight, preferably between herself and Jacob. There was a sound that was half growl and half gasp from Jacob's end of the line. "You're lying!" he accused. "Bella's grounded; there's no way she's with the leeches."

"Yes, well, I needed help on my homework. Charlie didn't seem to mind. Bella really is here." Artemis held the phone out, "Say something, Bella."

It was obvious that Bella was not supposed to take the phone. She shook her head again and spoke loudly, "Hello, Jake. Nice to hear from you. Or, it would be if you weren't being a jerk."

Artemis pulled the phone back to her ear and smirked as Jacob got angrier, "Why didn't you tell me Bella was there? And why _is_ she there? Is she not grounded anymore?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed before answering, "Well, I was too busy being yelled at to tell you anything. Bella is here because of some very smooth talking on my part and she _is_ still grounded. Now, I'll be home in a few minutes so leave me alone."

"You lied to Charlie, didn't you? Does he know where you are?" Jacob sounded smug now and it made Bella nervous. "Maybe I should call him and tell him where you are. He'd love that, wouldn't he?"

Artemis showed no sign of fear or nervousness, "Go ahead. See if I care." She smirked and the continued as if she'd forgotten to mention something, "Oh, but you might want to think about the part where _Bella_ gets in more trouble than I do. Not that you care. Snitching on Bella is your favorite hobby, isn't it?"

There was a fierce growl that made Bella jump and Edward pulled her closer to his chest to calm her down. Artemis showed no signs of being the least bit intimidated by Jake's anger. She smiled smugly and said, "We've been over this, Jake. Use your words."

Emmett snorted and tried to laugh quietly into his hand so that he could hear what happened next. Esme seemed less upset now that Artemis was holding her own against the werewolf. Carlisle still looked like he wanted to kill Jake with his bare hands. Edward was practically radiating smugness as he listened calmly to Jacob getting made fun of by the small girl.

"I'm gonna shove my fist down your throat the second I see your ugly face, you dirty half breed!" Jake snarled ferociously. Bella gasped at his angry tone and the name he'd just called Artemis. One look at Carlisle was all it took to see that he really would kill Jake the next time he saw him. That was probably both because Artemis was like a daughter to him and because Esme looked ready to cry; she was so hurt that anyone could be cruel to her daughter. No one needed to look at Emmett to know that he was angry beyond measure. Jasper and Edward both flinched at his strong emotion and angry thoughts.

Artemis knew she had to calm everyone down before leaving or else something bad might happen. However, that knowledge rested at the back of her mind, almost unnoticed. What she did notice, was that Jake had just started something fun. And _she_ was going to be the one to finish it.

"Go ahead and try it, fur-ball. I'll send you home crying to your daddy," she taunted with a smile on her face that showed she'd be a ruthless opponent.

Jake fired back without hesitation; they'd done this before, "In your dreams, you freak of nature."

"The only thing freaky is you're breath," Artemis countered, "Not even stray dogs eating out of trash cans smell as bad as you."

"And they're not as _ugly_ as you. Hell, _Paul's_ not as ugly as you," Jake used every opportunity he had to insult Paul and Artemis in one breath.

And Artemis used every opportunity she had to turn it against him. "Well we all know that doesn't mean much coming from you. I've seen the way you stare at him, Jakey," she taunted mercilessly.

Jake growled, "You mean like I wanna rip his throat? Yeah, everyone stares at him like that. I'll settle for yours though, you sniveling cow."

"You shouldn't make fun of me when I was sticking up for you the other day," Artemis started. "Paul was saying how you weren't fit to… date a pig and I told him he was wrong. A pig's the only thing you're fit to date." At least Artemis hadn't gotten so caught up in the fight that she forgot she was still in front of Esme and Carlisle.

"Well, you're so ugly you can't get a date with a calendar."

"Go chase a car. Make sure it's in reverse."

"What are you going to do for a face when the monkey wants his butt back?"

"If a thought ever crossed your mind, it'd be the shortest journey on record."

"Don't sleep on your side or your brain might roll out your ear."

"I bet your imaginary friend wouldn't even hang out with you, would he?"

"You're like a documentary about sand, only not as exciting."

"Try something for me, ok? Grab your ears and pull as hard as you can. You might just get your head out of your a-anus."

"You know, you really grow on people… just like canc- shit!"

Artemis knew the end of the fight when she heard it. Though she was upset that she didn't have the last word, she tensed immediately in fear of Jacob being harmed. "What?"

"Sam," Jacob hissed lowly. Bella almost didn't hear him. She glanced quickly around to see Emmett, Alice and Jasper recovering from their laughter. Carlisle and Esme looked like they were fighting between their parental instincts and trying to not laugh. Rosalie looked bored but she was smirking. Edward's chest had been shaking with quiet laughter moments ago but now was still and almost concerned.

Jacob continued speaking softly, probably so Sam wouldn't hear him, "C'mon Artemis, time to come home. I'll cover for you 'till you get here."

Artemis's eyes turned angry, "I'm not afraid of that-"

"Art!" Jake hissed desperately. He sounded nervous and almost frantic. Bella's heart gave a little pull even though his pain was not a result of anything she'd done.

It seemed that Artemis reacted to him the same way that Bella did. Her face softened immediately and she sighed. Then she huffed as if upset that she had to do anything because of Sam Uley. "Fine, ok," she muttered. "Five minutes tops. Tell him…" she glanced around the room quickly, looking for an alibi, "tell him Edward ticked me off and I really did take the scenic route home. I'll definitely show up looking pissed."

After a quick goodbye, Artemis snapped her phone shut and glanced at the clock again. She sighed and looked at Edward and Bella, then closed her eyes for two seconds. When she opened them, she spoke quickly, "You've got fifteen, maybe twenty minutes to get Bella home before Charlie gets suspicious. He _can't_ see your car, Edward, and she needs to pull up in her truck. I couldn't bear it if Charlie didn't trust me anymore.

"Bella, tell him we studied a lot and goofed off a lot too, that's why you're kind of late. That's technically all true; we just didn't study what he'll think we studied. And he'll like that you have a friend outside of the Cullens." She glanced around quickly, afraid she might have offended someone. "Sorry, but you know Charlie and Billy gossip like teenagers. Anyway, I have to go take care of my big little brother. Definite rain check on that fight, Emmett. You're not getting out of a butt whooping that easily."

Emmett laughed loudly and Artemis smiled lightly. She turned to Carlisle and Esme and leaped into their arms with superhuman speed. They caught her easily and comfortably and had a group hug that _looked_ human enough, but Bella was pretty sure that it would have broken any human's ribs.

She muttered promises to return quickly, this weekend if she could, and then spun around and rushed into Bella's arms. This act surprised everyone, especially Bella, so there was no time for her to hug back or for Edward to even tense up. Artemis rushed out the door, shouting her goodbyes and how much she couldn't wait to see Bella, Edward, Alice and Jasper the next day. And Emmett, Rosalie, Esme and Carlisle as soon as possible. Edward chuckled and guided Bella out the door after her. She waved goodbye to the Cullens as she chased after Edward's long stride, knowing she had limited time until her father would know she wasn't where she was supposed to be. By the time they got out the door, Artemis was nowhere to be seen.


	10. Just Clearing Things Up

A wonderful reader of mine has informed me that I've been a little vague with the relationship between Artemis and Jake and Artemis and the rest of the pack. I hope to get Artemis and Jake's relationship cleared up when I redo chapter nine and it should definately be clear by chapter 10. But for those that would like to know now...

Jacob and Artemis have known each other since Jake was born. Jake grew up with Artemis watching over him but not telling him anything about werewolves or vampires, of course. Now that Jake's older and much bigger than Artemis (though not as strong no matter what he may tell you), they have a brother/sister relationship except closer. They've both always been there for each other but, like most siblings, they enjoy making fun of each other whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Jacob is more overprotective of Artemis than most brothers, especially when it comes to anything not completely human or female (so he will hate Mike Newton even more when he finds out he has a crush on Artemis). Though he likes to call her every name in the book, he knows where to draw the line and he would _**kill**_ anyone who dared look at Artemis cross-eyed.

Artemis, also loves to push Jake's buttons and she's spent a very long time learning what those buttons are and in what order to push them to get a bigger explosion. She likes to fight him (verbally and physically) but she gets _very_ upset when anyone is mean to him or upsets him. And you do _not_ want to see Artemis get upset. Like Bella, it hurts her physically to see/hear him sad or anything other than happy (or mad. Mad is always good. Mad leads to fights.).

So, yes, their relationship is a little complicated. But it becomes easier to understand a little further in the story when you'll see them interact. However, Artemis's relationship with the pack is supposed to be a little shrouded in mystery for the moment. All that should be obvious now is that she really doesn't like Sam for some unknown (to you) reason.

Thanks a ton for your feedback, Suzanna, and everyone else who's reviewed. I really appreciate it more than you know. If there are any more questions, comments or concerns, please let me know. I'll try to clear everything up. At least, what's not supposed to be a little suspenseful, anyway.

Thanks again, everyone!

Allegro-chan


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